Electrical connector with positioning ribs



Jan. 13, S- L, ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH" POSITIONING RIBS Filed oct. 25.

. 2 Sheets-Shea?l 1 INVENTOR.

H UEBNER, BEEHLER,

Jamadnd' 044m,

WORREL e HERZIG,

TTORNEY-S'.

Wala/m f W ELECTRICAL 'CNNEC'R WlTirii PSTTDNNG REBS t Samuel L. Arson, Glendale Calif., assigner to Cannon Electric Company, lLos Angeles, Calif., a empara-linnn `of California Application @ctober 25, i954, @arial No. 134,368

Claims. (Cl. 339-61) This invention relates to electric connectors and more particularly to electric connectors of the plug and socket type. t

`Where electric conductors carry intelligence in the form of an electric signal, as for example a cable carrying audio-frequency current, it has been found in practice that intermittent making and breaking of contact between conducting members in the vicinity of the cable injects a high frequency audio-interference into the cable itself. This is true even though the conducting members which are engaged in such intermittent make and break are essentially non-current carrying members. ln the past, such interference has been relatively insignificant because the other portions of the audio circuit, such as the amplifier, speaker, etc., have a frequency response characteristic which does not respond to high audiofrequencies. With the development of higher fidelity audio equipment, whichis more sensitive or responsive to the higher audio-frequencies, this intermittent making and breaking becomes very troublesome, because the resultant high frequency interference is then noticeable at the receiving end of the cable. t

One place where such interference has been found to be injected is in connectors wherein two sections lof a cable are electrically joined together. Such connectors are generally housed or sheathed with metallic casings which intermittently make and break contact upon the slightest movement of thefconnector. Such movement fait p bores lit, and receive male is very common when audio-frequency cables are dragged around over the floor.

It istan object of this invention to provide a connector which is free of interference injected by intermittent making and breaking of contact betweenmetallic `portions of the connector.

It is an object of this invention to provide an electric connector which is free of interference-producing contact of the type described above.

It is another object` of this invention to provide an electric connector in which relative `movement between the two members of the connector is virtually precluded, or at least limited to an insignicant amount, with consequent elimination or minimization of interference pro ducing contact.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for resiliently positioning together two members of a connector against relative movement with respect to each other, thereby precludingintermittent making and breaking of contact.

l't is a still further` object of this inventionito provide an electric connector of the plug and socket type having -rneans for resiliently positioning the plug within the socket against relative lateral movement, thereby to preclude intermittent making: and breaking of contact between;conducting portions of theplug and socket.

In accordancetwith these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, preferred forms of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

. the front face 28 Patented Jian. 13,

Fig. l is a longitudinal View, partially sectioned, of a connector embodying the present invention; i

Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection of a fragmentary portion of the connector of Fig. 1; p

Fig. 3 is across section taken on line 3 3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an exploded fragmentary perspective View illustrating certain parts of one of the connector members shown in Figs. 1-3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section, generally similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a second form of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal section, similar to Fig. 2, of a third form of the present invention; and

Fig. 8 is a cross section taken on line 8*8 in Fig. 7.

ln Pig.` l there is illustrated a connector 11 composed of a pair of mating connector members, one being a plug l2, the other being a socket 13.

Theplug `i2 is comprised basically of a body portion of resilient, deformable material, such as rubber or i1eoprene,iover which is fitted a metal shell 16. Imbedded longitudinally within the body i4 area plurality of female contacts or contact members 17. The forward faces of the contacts l? communicate with the forward face of the plug '.l2`by meansof a corresponding plurality of contact members, as will be explained hereinafter.

integrally formed with each contact 17 isa terminal portieri i9, which extendsrearwardly from the body 14. The exposed portions of the terminals i9 are walled off from each other by radial walls 2l formed integrally with the body lli and extending rearwardly therefrom.

.Fitted over the rear of the body 14 and shell i6 is a housing 22. which surrounds the terminals i9 and into which is secured a non-conducting sleeve 23, which surrounds the cable conductors as they are brought to the terminals ll9. Another non-conducting sleeve 25 is interposed around the terminals `l9lfor giving added insulation andweather sealing around the terminals.

The rear of the shell 16 is completely open and is abutted by a circumferential flange 24 formed integral with `the body i4. The front face 26 of the shell lo is provided with a large opening 27 through. which protrudes of the resilient body lll.

The plug body 14 is provided on its forward face 28 with an annular groove or shoulder 29 which permits the slight protrusion of the face 28, through the opening 27 in the shell 16, as mentioned above. The groove 29 has a flat or chordal portion 3l. corresponding to a similar chord 32 in the opening 27. These complementary flats provide for polarization of the `body i4 Within the shell lid. Further polarization is achieved by a pair of opposite liats 33 formed respectively on the body ll4 and on the interior of the shells liti. A screw 30 in the shell le presses into the body 14 to secure the body in the shell.

A longitudinal groove 35 communicating with the front face of the plug body ld is formed therein and is lined with a metal shell fifi. Loosely positioned in the shell 34 is a latch member 36, having a 'iF-shaped tongue 37 which rests on a deepened portion ofthe dat 31 to form hinged means about which the latch member 36 may pivot slightly. The latch 36 isbiased outwardly by a leaf spring Eid interposedbetween the latch and the aeeaoee a slotiwithin the socket 13 in order to keep the plug and socket engaged.

The socket 13 comprises'a housing 42 adapted to lit over and around the forward portion of the plug 12. Secured within the housing t2 is an insulator 43 in which are imbedded a plurality of longitudinal male contact members 44. The forward portions of the members 44 extend into the female members 17 of the plug 12, while the rearward portions of the contact members 44; ex-

tend rearwardly from the insulator 43 and terminate in conductor receiving terminals 46. The conductors which are Vconnected to the terminals 46 are brought out, in the form of a cable, from the rear of the socket 13 through an insulating sleeve 47.

Inside the housing 42, adjacent the front edge thereof, is provided a small notch 48 into which ts the hook 39 of the latch member 36 on the plug 12. This engagement between the hook 39 and notch 48 serves to lock thev plug and sockets together. A longitudinal groove-and-ridge 50 serves to relatively polarize the plug 12 and socket 13.

In accordance with the present invention, one of the connector members, the plug 12, in the particular example shown in Figs. l-4, is provided with a plurality of elongate, resilient members spaced circumferentially therearound and disposed generally parallel to the axis of the connector, which extend into resilient engagement with the other member (in this case, the socket 13) in order to resiliently position the plug within the socket yagainst relative lateral movement. This positioning substantially precludes intermittent making and breaking of contact between the metal shell 16 of the plug 12 and the metal housing 4Z of the plug 13, such as might occur as cables using this connector are moved around over the floor.

ln the form of the present invention shown in Figs. l-4, these elongate resilient members comprise three longitudinal ribs 51 formed integrally on the surface `of the plug body 14 and hence formed of resilient, deformable material, such as rubber or neoprene. The ribs 51 extend through three corresponding slots 52 formed in the shell 16 of the plug 12, and into engagement with the inner face of the housing 42 of the socket 13.

lf desired, one or more of the ribs 51 shown in Figs. 1-4 may be replaced by resilient spring members, as shown in Figs. and 6. In the embodiment shown in these figures, `two of the ribs 51 are 4constructed of deformable material integral with the plug body 14?, while the third rib, opposite the latch 36, is made in the form of an elongate leaf spring 53 which likewise extends through a slot 52 in the shell 16. The leaf spring 53 is secured to the inside of the housing 22 of the plug 12 by means of a screw 54.

The leaf spring 53 is biased outwardly by its natural resilience, and the forward end is restrained against com-- plete departure from the plug 12 by being caught under the forward lip 55 formed on the shell 16 where the slot 52 terminates. The leaf spring 53 is naturally 'bowedV outward, so that it is continually biased into engagement with the socket housing .42 during the residence of the. plug within the socket. The spring 53 thus serves a function similar to that of the ribs 51 in resiliently positioning the plug 12 within the socket 13 against lateral displacement, thereby virtually precluding intermittent making and breaking of contact between metallic parts of the plug and socket, respectively.

A third form of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, wherein all three of the ribs 51 of the embodiment shown in Figs. l-4 are replaced by resilient leaf springs 56. ln this modification the three springs 56 are not screwed to the plug but reside more or less loosely in a specially shaped groove 57 formed in the plug body 14- in registry with the shell slots 52. The springs S6- are restrained in the plug by causing one end to engage: beneath the forward edge of the housing 22 while the:

other end engages beneath the flange or lip formed where the slot 52 terminates in the shell 16. As in the modification of Figs. 5-6,` the spring 56 is naturally bowed outward so that when the plug and `socket are engaged, the springs 56 are biased into yielding engagement with the socket'housing 42, as shown at S8.

The longitudinal resilient members thus described in conjunction with these various embodiments virtually preclude lateral displacement of the plug within the socket, thereby to prevent intermittent metal-to-metal contact. At the forward end'of the plug, the slight protrusion of the non-conducting face 28 of the plug body 14 insures that there will be no metal-to-metal contact between the plug and socket at the face of the plug, thereby insuring against the undesired intermittent rnetaltor-metal contact mentioned hereinbefore.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized that dcpartures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. Electric connector comprising a socket, a plug adapted to mate within said socket, complementary electrical contacts on said lplug and socket respectively, adapted to engage and complete a circuit when the plug is engaged in the socket, the plug having a body of insulating material, a plurality of elongated ribs of resilient, a deformable material formed integrally with the body, the ribs being spaced circumferentially around the plug and being disposed generally parallel to the axis ofthe connector and extending radially outward from the plug into resilient engagement withthe socket, and a shell embracing the Abody and having a plurality of longitudinal slots through which said ribs protrude for engagement with the socket, thereby to resiliently position the plug in the socket against relative lateral movement.

2. Electric connector comprising a pair of connector members and a resilient member for maintaining the connector members in interengagement against relative lateral movement, one of said connector members being a socket, the other of said connector members being a' plug adapted to mate within the socket; the socket comprising a body of insulating material, a housing around and extending forwardly of the socket body to receive the plug, and a plurality of electrical contacts in the body; the plug comprising a body of insulating material, a plurality of electrical contacts in the plug body for engagement with the contacts respectivelyV of the socket to complete a circuit when the plug is engaged in the socket, and a shell embracing the plug body, the shell having an elongate slot formed therein for accommodating the resilient member, the resilient member being elongate and disposed generally parallel to the axis of the connector and extending radially from one of said connector members through said slot and into resilient engagement with the other connector member.

3. Electric connector comprising a pair of connector members and a plurality of resilient members for maintaining the connector members in intere'ngagement against relative lateral movement, one of said connector members being a socket, the other of said connector members being a plug adapted to mate within socket; the socket comprising a body of insulating material, a housing around and extending forwardly of the socket body to receive the plug, and a plurality of electrical contacts in the body; the plug comprising a body of insulating material, `a plurality of electrical contacts in the plug body for engagement with the contacts respectively of the socket to complete a circuit when the plug is engaged in the socket, and a shell embracing the body, the shell having a plurality of elongate slots, formed therein spaced circumferentially around theshell and disposed generally parallel to the axis of the connector; the resilient members being elongate and spaced circumferentially around the plug body and disposed generally parallel to the axis of the connector and eX- tending radially from one of said connector members through said slots respectively and. into resilient engagement with the other connector member.

4. Connector according to claim 3 wherein said elongate resilient members comprise longitudinal ribs m'ade of resilient, deformable material and formed integrally with at least a portion of said plug.

5. Connector according to claim 3 wherein said resili- References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,222,721 Bissell et al. Apr. 17, 1917 FOREIGN PATENTS 276,174 Great Britain Aug. 25, 1927 

